g-ifford



(No Model.) Y 1 W. E. GIFFORD. APPARAIUSTOR HOLDING AND SHIFTING'STAGE SGENBRY. l

No. 325,927. Patented Sept. 8, 1885.

' and Shifting Stage Scenery, of which the folthe setting of stage sceneryywhich means shall -possible a double set of side scenes and au al- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WATSON H. GIFFORD, OF FORT HAMILTON, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR HOLDING AN D SHIFTING STAGE SCENERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,927, dated September 8, 1885.

Application filed February 17, 1895. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, WATSON HATCH GIE FORD, of Fort Hamilton, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Holding lowing is a specification.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a stageloor, showing my apparatus when lowered and outof use. Fig. 2 is a similar vertical section showing the apparatus in its raised position to support scenery. Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the movable post, which can be raised or lowered as desired.

The object of this invention is to provide a means for holding the wings yor side scenes in combine strength with the capacity of being easily adjusted to hold the scene and capable of being put immediately out of the way when the scene is no longer needed, so as to give clear stage-room. My invention also renders most instantaneous change, as hereinafter described. Itis also cheaply and readily con structed and adapted to any stage.

The invention consists, primarily, in the use of arod or pole, preferably of circular shape, which slides down into a box made to receive it and extending into the cellar below the stagefloor. When the rod is not in use, it is lowered into vthis box, and the top of the rod stands at the level of the stage-floor; but when it is desired to use the rod to support a portion of the side scenes then a rope is lowered from the top of the stage and hooked onto the top of the movable post, and the post is drawn up through the opening in the stageloor and held vertically at the desired height, and the scene, being placed against the post and fastened there by an adjustable clamp working in the post, is held rmly in place until it is desired to remove it, when the clamp is slipped off, the scene taken off, and the` post lowered back into its receptacle under the stage by lowering the rope which served to pull it up and hold it.

In the acccompanying drawings, the letter A denotes the movable post. B is the stagefloor and C the stage-ceiling, while D represents the cellar under the stage. The post A is provided with a collar, a, at its lower end, which is large enough to prevent it from being pulled out through the opening b in the stage-door. It is also provided with the clamp 5 5 d. (Shown in detail in Fig. 3.) This clamp d works in a slot, e, cut into the post at its upper end. The clamp consists of an upright rod, with a bent handle, j, at its lower end, which rests against the bottom of the slot e 6o when the clamp is down. The top of the clamp branches off at each side into two hooks, ff, which iit down into a slot cut across the top of the post A when in the closed position, as shown in the full lines in Fig. 3, where the dotted lines show the clamp pushed upward, Aso as to admit of scenery g g being placed under the hooks ff, which can then be drawn down over the top of the scene or over a rail fastened at its back to clamp it and hold it close to the post, the bottom of the scene resting on the stage-floor B and the post being held suspended above the stage. The clamp d is prevented from being pushed too far upward by a check or cross piece, h, which runs across the slot e, and against which the bent handle j of the clamp strikes, and sois stopped.

The letter E represents the hollow casing under the stagefloor, into which the post A ts when lowered. This casing is internally so shaped to lit the post, so that the post shall readily slide up and down therein. The casing has also a slot, k, cut in the side correspouding to the slot e of the post A when that is lowered. This slot 7c allows the bent handle 8 5 j to freely pass out of or into the casing when the post A is raised or lowered.

The apparatus for raising and lowering the post is as follows: In the top of the post is a small hole, Z, o r a staple or hook. Fastened 9o at one end of the gallery F, projectiugover the stage at one side, is the rope G, which runs from the gallery .F over the blocks m attached to the stage-ceiling.v The free end of this rope is provided with a weight, n, below which projects a hook, o. When' the rope G is loosened at the gallery, the weightn carries the free end, to which is attached the hook o downward to the stage-Hoor B. There the hook ois slipped into-the hole Zin the top of the roo post, and the rope G, being now hauled in from the gallery, the post A, is raised to the position shown inV Fig. 2,its farther elevation being stopped by the collar a striking against the stagefloor B. The rope Gr being made fast at the gallery F, the post is held in its upright position; or the post A may be raised by a counter weightror weights attached to ropes running through blocks on the under side of the stage-floor B. The weights may be arranged to drop downward into the cellar D, and must be so adjusted as to balance and hold the weight of the post A. Then the post may beraised and lowered by moving the weights up and down, and is held balanced by them at any desired height. Then the clamp d is pushed upward by pressing Vupon the handle j until it strikes the stop h, the hooks f f taking the position shown bythe dotted lines in Fig. 3. Thesidescenes, gg, are now slippedin7 one at each side of the post, and the clamp ddrawn down until the handle j strikes the bottom of the slot e and is stopped, the hooks f f being pulled down over the tops of the scenes g g or the rails at their backs, and clamping and holding them firmly against the post. It is intended that the two scenes g g shall belong to different sets, only one showing, being that at the front of the post, as set, the one at the back being concealed by the other. Then when it is desired to change the side scene, this is effected by simply turning around the post A as it stands. This is readily done, owing to the circular forni of the post, and the` fact that it is held suspended by a eXible rope, and the scene which wasat the back is turned around so as to face the audience, the other scene being now behind and concealed.

I claiml. In an apparatus for shifting stage scenery, the combination ofthe post A, clamp d, and hoisting-tackle, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The movable post A,provided with clamp d, in combination with 'the iixed casing E, into which it can be lowered, and with the tackle to raise and lower said post, all substantially 45 as and for the purposes described.

WATSON H. GIFFORD. Vitnesses:

SAML. R. Bnrrs, GEORGE HEARN. 

